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Unless you plan to be a bum for the rest of your life, you cannot avoid going to work. And as an employee, you are expected to act accordingly to the rules and regulations of your company which includes not punching a co-worker in the face. We all get stressed and frustrated at work and as difficult as it is already, some people somehow makes it even harder simply by being themselves.

Here are the 5 worst types of colleague you’ll definitely meet (or may have already) at work:

The Know-It-All

Ugh, nobody likes a know-it-all, right? But for some reason, they keep on breeding and there are lots of them in the workplace. They dote on you and criticizing every little thing you do, correcting every single wrongs and the worst part is, they’re not even your boss. How to deal with them? Be a know-it-all yourself but only use it to defend yourself. Prove to them that you know what you’re doing and no one else should tell you how to do your job unless they’re the ones paying your bills.

The Get Me Out Of Here

This type is easy to spot. They’re the ones who are slumped on their chairs all day, complaining about everything. They complain about having to wake up so early. They complain about the traffic. They complain about the rude bus driver they just had a fight with. They complain about the weather, the train, the sky, the desk and the way the hours go oh so slow. They have always told you that they’re going to resign and find a better job somewhere but they’ve been saying that for years now and they’re still in the company, complaining. Stay away from this type if you don’t want to become like them.

The Mega Phone

Happy-go-lucky, cheerful, giddy but loud, very loud-these are the traits of the Mega Phones. This type of colleague is harmless at first if you’re new at the office but once they get to know you, they’ll talk to you as if you’re at the other side of the office. Always excited about everything, they like telling stories you care nothing about and you’d seriously want to put something inside their mouths to get them to stop talking but of course, you can’t do that so just pop on your earphones and listen to heavy metal instead.

The Politician

Ah, nothing says corporate drama than office politics. This is where the office politicians thrive. This is their battlefield. They work their way into the ranks and befriends everyone, especially the big bosses. They often make themselves popular by doing people favors but don’t get fooled, once they get to the position that they want, they’ll do an entire 360 and become the monster they always were.

The Dunce

Idiots are fun that’s why every village wants one but definitely not in the workplace. Dunces are little children on “Bring Your Child To Work Day”. They literally don’t know or care about what they’re doing as long as they’re getting paid for it. They are most of the time subordinates who keep bugging you with questions rather than taking the initiative to figure things out on their own. It’ll make you wonder if they’re really just lazy or a legit bunch of idiots who miraculously know how to make a resume and pass a job interview.

When I was a kid, I used to wake up at 8am and sit right in front of our TV every weekday to watch my favorite shows on local channels. We didn’t have cable back then but even when we got it, I still go back to my favorite children’s shows from time to time until they all just slowly vanished. These shows are so close to my heart and they taught me a lot of lessons not just academically but also in life.

Here are some Pinoy Children Shows that should be on TV Again:

Hiraya Manawari

Hiraya Manawari is one of the longest running children’s shows back in my day. The term Hiraya is a deeper form of “sana” (hopefully) and Manawari means “mangyari” or “Matupad”. In English, it literally means “I Hope it comes true”. From what I remember it’s a show that teaches children about discipline, love and friendship. Most episodes of Hiraya Manawari involves travelling to Magical Lands and meeting magical creatures that will teach the protagonist of that particular story a lesson that that they will carry when they go back to their real world. What I miss about this show is the storyline of every episode because they do not take their audience for granted. I love how the stories even have slightly complicated plots that even adults can still learn from it. They should really bring this back instead of re-running old violent cartoons.

Bayani

This is the show that made me a history nerd and I regret nothing. I love this show so much I even risk getting late for school just to finish an episode. Bayani is a history based children’s show that brings audiences to the lives of our heroes and the builders of our nation. It’s like a first class ticket to the lives of Andres Bonifacio, Jose Rizal, Antonio Luna, Diego Silang and many more. The main thing I love about this show aside from the amazing set is that the portrayal of characters. The actors are all amazing! A lot of kids find history (especially ours) boring nowadays and perhaps if they bring this show back, it will spark their interest just as it did mine when I was a student.

Batibot

Batibot is like our very own version of Sesame Street with puppets and singing and learning about lots of stuff. I don’t remember much about the episodes of this show but I do remember Kapitan Basa who probably inspired my love for reading. Oh and also Kuya Bodjie (Luisito Pascua) the story teller. Batibot truly made me happy when I was a kid and I’m sure if they bring this back, little kids will love it too; just as long as they put away their phones for a bit.

Mathinik

I hated math when I was a kid (till now) and when Mathinik, a show about Mathematics came to television, It saved me from the horror of boring numbers. This show made Math fun for all of us, especially since they make solving problems a lot easier by making it very visual. I must say it improved my Math grades a little but I still find the subject boring. Nevertheless, it proved that teaching a boring subject in a fun way definitely helps.

Epol Apol

Epol Apol is an English related children’s show that aims to teach little children proper English grammar and English words. I loved this show so much because it challenged me to learn English at such a young age. Kuya Bodjie also hosts this show and he travels with two children through distant lands to learn English phrases, usage, pronunciations, etc. This is one of the most educational since it forces the audience to learn because otherwise, they wouldn’t understand the episode.

Sineskwela

Sineskwela is the reason why I am in love with Science. To this day, even if I’m not in school anymore, I am still very much interested in it and this show is to blame. I was a very curious kid (still am) and this show satisfied me a lot, especially that episode where they travelled inside someone’s intestines. I also remember that episode about the weather and they visually depicted how a cloud forms from water vapor and oh, that episode about Volcanoes! Sineskwela was my all-time favorite show when I was a kid and I wouldn’t mind watching it again as a young adult. I want to see Kuya Bok, Ugat Puno, Ate Giselle, Ate Winnie, Palikpik, Kulitsap, Anatom and Agatom again, do some Science and chant “Siyensya, Siyensya! Mag-imbestiga, tuklasin ang hiwaga ng Siyensya!”

People who keep saying that playing video games does nothing but corrupt the brain and make you stupid clearly haven’t played Ubisoft’s most popular game, Assassin’s Creed. I’ve been playing the series for months now and the reason why it’s taking me a long time to finish one AC game is because I don’t want to rush such a masterpiece. You see, Assassin’s Creed is based on actual events in history and though some parts are fictional, the rest are fairly accurate. So for all you history nerds and video game aficionados out there, here are some of the real historical events featured in the Assassin’s Creed series:

The ‘Hashasins’ of Masyaf

In the first installment of Assassin’s Creed, we follow the story of Altair Ibn La-Ahad, the master assassin of Masyaf who lived sometime in 1165-1257. Most of the story in the game occurred from 1189-92, the time which the Third Crusade took place. Now, the dates are accurate but did a secret order of Assassin’s existed during that time? Yes and they were called ‘Hashasins’. The Assassin’s guild, based at the castle of Masyaf, was established by Hassan-I Sabbah, a Persian missionary and philosopher. His assassins would target leaders, politicians and many influential people to give warnings to those who are planning to oppose him. They were also trained in martial arts and can blend with the crowd just like Altair.

They also do these killings in broad daylight to send a powerful message to the masses. Salāḥ ad-DīnYūsufibnAyyūb (better known as Saladin) who’s often mentioned in the game, is an actual Sultan who in real life, had problems with the assassins. Though he wasn’t assassinated, he backed off from fighting with them after an assassin left a dagger under his pillow that truly put him in his place.

The Knight Templars

We now know that the Assassins were a real deal but what about their enemies, the Templars? Like the Assassin’s, the Templars were also written in history and was very active during the crusades. They were known as the Knight Templars and their original aim is to escort Pilgrims to the Holy Land. However, it soon grew into a military order that gained favors from very powerful people, including The Pope. Soon, corruption and murder overtook the knights and they were disbanded right after the crusades. Although, some people still claim that the organization still exists under a different name. Kind of like Abstergo Industries in the game, history books say they are long gone. Also, the appearance of the Templars in AC 1 were also historically accurate since most Templars works as guards, doctors and military leaders during that time.

Historical Characters

Aside from Sultan Saladin, there were also a lot of real historical people scattered around the Assassin’s Creed universe. Most prominent is Rodrigo Borgia or most commonly known as Pope Alexander VI. In AC II, he was the main antagonist and if you think he’s evil in the game, he was reportedly so much worse in real life. He bought his way into papacy and was known to be a womanizer. He did whatever it takes to stay in power until he was poisoned in 1503. In the game, he was poisoned by his own son, Cesare (who’s also as bad in real life as his character in the game). Leonardo Da Vinci also appeared as EzioAuditore’soldest friend.

In AC III, George Washington gave aid to the assassin named Connor as he tried to free the US from the Templars. Black Beard, the legendary pirate king appeared in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. In the latest installment Assassin’s Creed Unity set in the midst of the French revolution, Napoleon Bonaparte assumed a very important role in the game.

There are more historical Easter eggs hidden in the Assassin’s Creed universe and it adds to the fun trying to find and read all about it in history books. So, the next time you play AC, watch out for the real events and people in history in the game and it might just help you ace your exams.

They say behind every genius lies a tragic story. Sometimes these tragic stories become science discoveries, inventions that change lives and sometimes, they transform into the most beautiful poetry the world has ever seen; that my friends, is the poetry of the great Charles Bukowski, one of America’s most prolific poets of all time.

Born Heinrich Karl Bukowksi on August 16, 1920, Charles had a very rough childhood. He was born in Germany and was brought to America when he was only two years old. His father is a firm believer of straight discipline and he would often beat Charles and his mother, even for the simplest offense. Charles’ school life wasn’t so good either because he was bullied by bigger kids his age. He also had a hard time with girls because no one would even look at him because he had a very bad complexion.

It was in 1939 when Bukowski decided to leave his Los Angeles hometown and drop out of college to move to New York City. It was in the beginning of World War II and he tried to make it as writer in a new city. He spent so many years writing, travelling and receiving a lot of rejection slips from various magazines and newspaper companies. Because of his series of failures, young Bukowski gave up on writing and just decided to do something else; by something else he meant almost destroying his life completely by drinking too much.

After coming back to Los Angeles, Charles began writing again. He was thirty five years old when his writing career actually began and unlike all the other writers of his time, he started publishing in underground newspapers. His works became popular through word of mouth because the main character of his stories which he named Henry Chinaski, is so relatable. There was so much rawness and truth in this character that people are beginning to see themselves in this semi-autobiographical character that Bukowski has created. In 1955, Bukowski was treated from near-fatal bleeding ulcer and after his release from the hospital, he began writing poetry and his alcohol addiction became worse.

Charles Bukowski wrote more than 40 books of poetry, novels and prose. His most popular novel is entitled “Women” which tells the story of a man’s crazy and unusual love and sex life. His books of poetry are widely popular since they all have a taste of satirized machismo with stories that dwell in alcoholism, poverty and bad experiences. He is known to make himself the hero of his stories without trying to look good and no sugar coating of anything whatsoever. He used his bad experiences and made them sound as bad they really are, and in turn, readers and critics alike found his work honest and straight to the heart. It was as if his hands popped out of his book and ripped your heart out into pieces.

I haven’t read all of Bukowski’s works, especially his novels because I’ve been captivated by his poetry for some time now. His writings are so different from all the other poets I’ve read and his words will really stick to you no matter how unremarkable the words he used are. He’s not even trying to impress you with big words. It’s just conversational and it feels real. And that’s the reason why he is one of the best poets because he knows how to word out emotions without pretense. My most favorite Bukowski poems are “So You Want To Be A Writer” -the poem I read to myself every time I feel like quitting and “Roll The Dice”- the poem I read to myself before I start to do anything.

Charles Bukowski died of pneumonia on March 1994, but his works continue to inspire and affect readers of young and old with stories as real as the scars on our skin. He may be gone but Bukowski’s words and poetry will live on forever.

Most notable people in history are composed of men who conquered continents and won battles but that does not mean that all women ever did during those times was stay at home. As a matter of fact, there are also a lot of women conquerors and warriors who went down in history for their bravery and badassery.

Here are some of the most badass females in History:

Artemisia of Caria, Badass Military Strategist

Artemisia of Caria portrayed by Eva Green in the movie 300: Rise of Empires

A military strategist, rebellious queen and wartime commander of the 5th century Halicarnassus, no one dared mess with Artemisia of Caria. She was so good at military tactics that when Persian King Xerxes allied with her, she called him an idiot for not following her military advice. Thus, the king lost his battle. Herodotus the historian later wrote that King Xerxes made sure to follow all of her military strategies after that.

Growing up amidst a rising rebellion is probably what led Policarpa to the path of resistance. According to historical accounts, she was a daring, sharp-tongued woman who’s determined to be freed from the Spanish ruling in Colombia 1817. She worked as a humble seamstress in the houses of royals so she could gather information, while sewing. She would also flirt with soldiers and urge them to join the rebellion in the desert, while sewing. Her secret was later discovered and she was arrested by soldiers. Bet you thought she would just submit to authority? No, not Policarpia that’s for sure. She was sentenced to die by firing squad on November 1817. On her execution day, she refused to kneel before her captors and she didn’t shut up as well. The soldiers were then forced to beat the drums louder so the public won’t hear her encouraging them to revolt. She was tied to a stool and her last words were “My death will be avenged” and avenged it did because her bravery sparked a revolution that later led Colombia to freedom.

Tomoe Gozen, Badass Samurai Warrior

Tomoe Gozen as portrayed by Jeananne Goossenin the Syfy series Riverworld

Being a samurai alone already makes this woman a total badass babe but wait till you read about her tale. Tomoe Gozen was born in 1157 and fought in the Genpen war among her fellow samurais despite all conventions. At that time, the war is no place for women but she got easily recognized as an important member of the Japanese army because her skills were better than a thousand soldiers. Her archery skills made her a legend and she was said to ride horses and expertly maneuver them to trudge down cliff sides. If that’s not badass, I don’t know what is.

Gabriela Silang, Badass Filipina Rebel

Garbiela Silang as portrayed by Tin Patrimonia in the biopic ‘Gabriela’

Of course, this list would not be complete without our very own Gabriela Silang. Following the death of her husband, Diego Silang, the leader of the Ilocos rebellion group against the Spaniards, she took over his responsibilities and lead his troops to battle. She fled on horseback to the mountains of Abra to reestablish her husband’s troops and planned their attacks. They fought the Spanish soldiers for four months. Gabriela, together with her troops marched to take back the town of Vigan. However, for some reason the Spaniards knew they were coming and had prepared for their arrival. Unfortunately, they walked straight into an ambush. Gabriela escaped with few of her troops but they were later arrested and hanged on September 29, 1763 at Vigan’s Plaza. Gabriela was the last to die and her death inspired many other rebellions from different provinces.

Ever since I was a kid, I have been fascinated by great classical composers. But aside from their magnificent compositions and their contribution to the world of music, what interests me the most about these musical geniuses are their life stories; especially the story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the greatest composer the world has ever seen.

The Man

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756. He was baptized as Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart. He added the Italian name “Amadeo” later in his life. He was born in a family of musicians and his father Leopold, an accomplished violinist, was mostly responsible for bringing out his musical genius at a very young age. His mother Anna Maria and sister Maria Anna “Nannerl” often called him “Wolferl”. His childhood was mostly spent travelling all across Europe, performing and dazzling royalties here and there. Historical accounts of Mozart’s performances say that he leaves his audience’s jaws hanging at the sight of his genius. After all, in 1760’s Vienna, how often do you see a five year old child play a very complicated piece of music blindfolded, right? Even if we are to witness that kind of talent today, we’ll also be amazed. As he grew up, Mozart became very aware of his abilities that sometimes, he came off as arrogant and pompous to other composers. Most of them probably just felt threatened but it was highly evident in Wolfgang’s actions that he regards his talents as exceptional and therefore he should be allowed to share it to the rest of the world. So, despite his father’s protest and to the disappointment of the archbishop who Mozart claimed treated him like a servant, he ventured out to Vienna where he found his real audience and the love of his life, Contanze Weber. He remained in the city of Vienna, composing operas for Emperor Joseph II and the rest of the aristocrats. According to those who knew him so well, he was a witty, clever individual with a kind – hearted soul who loves to laugh and making practical jokes.

The Genius

At the tender age of four, Mozart was already considered an accomplished pianist. At the age of five, he was already performing private concerts for royalties, doing tricks like playing the piano blindfolded or with a handkerchief covering his hands. When he was about three years old, his father found him scribbling something on the concrete floor. Leopold asked him what it is he’s writing and the clever young genius replied with “a concerto!” and indeed it was a legitimate concerto that can only be written by an accomplished musician. At six he began composing, writing his first symphonies at the age of eight. He was constantly traveling all over Europe with his father and his sister Nannerl.

At the age of 17, he was already appointed as the assistant concertmaster to the Archbishop whom he despised for treating him like a lowly servant. At age 21, he travelled to Paris and many different parts of Europe, accepting commissions for compositions as well as playing at concerts. He went back to Salzburg when his mother fell ill and died while accompanying him in his tour. Once again, he became a “servant” to the archbishop that he detested so much. When the archbishop went to Vienna, he was ordered to come and play for the coronation of Emperor Joseph. Seeing that Vienna is the home of musicians, he demanded to stay there and resigned from his post as concert master. There, the emperor commissioned him to make operas for him. Therefore, starting his career as one of Vienna’s leading composers.

The Music

In his lifetime, Mozart wrote more than 600 pieces of symphonies, operas and concertos in his short life. He is probably the only composer in history who has written music in every genre of his time. Mozart wrote mostly for royalties, especially for the Emperor Joseph II where he composed most of his masterpieces for. Experts describe Mozart’s music as timeless pieces of music, especially his works such as the last ten string quartets, the string quintets, and the Quintet for clarinet and strings; the Mass in C minor and the unfinished Requiem; the Serenade for thirteen wind instruments, the Clarinet concerto, the late piano concertos, and the last six symphonies. Mozart’s more than twenty piano concertos remain to be an epitome of the classic concerto form. His concertos begin with an elaborate sonata form first movement followed by a melodious second movement, and he finished it off with rapid and engaging rondo as in the Piano Concerto no. 22 in E-flat. My most favorite Mozart symphony, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik is one of the most recognizable tunes in the world today though not a lot of people know it was Mozart who composed it. Speaking of Mozart’s compositions, it was him who made the popular tune of ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “The Alphabet Song”. The tune was his original composition entitled “Je, Maman” which he made in Paris. Mozart’s symphonies are all so infused with a passion and expressiveness unheard of in symphonic writing until the existence of Ludwig Van Beethoven. His operas such as The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni are regarded as his best works that helped shaped the music of the generation that succeeded his.

The Mystery

Probably the worst tragedy in music history is the day Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died. On December 5, 1791, after battling a strange illness that caused him so much pain, Mozart went unconscious and did not awoke. He was only 35 years old. It was said that he grew distant and depressed after having so many debts at that time since the Aristocrats did not support the music and the arts because of the Turkish War. He was with his wife Contanze and sister-in-law Sophie when he died. They were so broke that Contanze couldn’t afford to give his husband the rightful funeral he so deserves. Mozart’s body was buried in an unmarked mass grave and up until now, no one knows where his body is buried. The cause of death is a mystery since no one knew what was wrong with him. A rumor sparked about him being poisoned by Antonio Salieri, his musical rival who vowed to do anything to protect his post. However, it was not proven if Salieri did kill his rival or if it was just a rumor. Still, for Mozart to have died so young and in so much pain despite his prominence at that time is truly a tragedy.

He may be gone but the fact that his music still lives on 200 years later after his death proves that he truly is the greatest composer of the classical era and there’s no other musical genius, before or since, quite like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Philippine history is rich and colorful but did you know it’s also full of surprises? In this article, we will explore all the “firsts” events in Philippines and what made them a historical event.

The First Filipino to be on Television

Ever wonder who was the first Filipino to show their face on television? Hint: It’s not an actor. It’s actually Elpidio Quirino the Philippines’ 6th President. It was on October 23, 1953 where the Broadcasting industry in the Philippines was still on its earliest stages. His brother, Antonio Quirino was one of the co-founders of Alto Broadcasting System or now known to be one of the biggest networks in the country, ABS-CBN.

The First Aircraft to fly in the Philippines

During the 1911 Manila Carnival Celebration, several aerial troops from the US arrived in the Philippines to perform a flight exhibition in the Pacific. It was part of their worldwide tour featuring the two earliest aircrafts ever to land in the Philippine territory. The aircrafts names were: Shiver’s Skylark and Red Devil biplane, both designed by US aviation pioneer, Glenn Hammond Curtis. A replica of Skylark can now be seen in Philippine Air Force Aerospace Museum at Villamor Air Base.

The First Ice Cream Store in the Philippines

Uncle Sam brought with him not just hamburgers and basketball but also one of our favorite treats, the Ice Cream. The first Ice Cream store in the country was called Clarke’s Ice Cream Parlor named after its owner, M.A. Clarke. It was built in 1899 along Plaza Moraga on the south end of the Pasig River. But Clark’s Ice Cream Parlor served more than just delicious ice cream, they also sold coffee, sodas, and candies. Soon, Clark’s Ice cream got replaced by an even more affordable ice cream made from carabao milk which is locally known as sorbetes.

The First Filipino Music Group on the US Billboard Top 100 Chart

Long before Lea Salonga and CharicePempengco became famous as international singers and chart topper, the band called The Rocky Fellers was the first ever Pinoy musical act that ever landed a spot on the US Billboard Top 100 Chart. They’re one of the country’s earlier rock band who sang the hit song “Killer Joe”. It was such a huge hit in the country and abroad that it landed on the number 16th place in the prestigious Billboard Hot 100 back in 1963. They are composed of Doroteo “Moro” Maligmat and his four sons: Antonio, Junior, Eddie, and Albert. They continued to climb up to the charts but unfortunately, the British Music invasion happened and their careers was cut short.

The First Filipina Miss Universe

The first Filipina to ever been crowned Miss Universe is none other than the beautiful Gloria Diaz in 1969. Gloria Maria Aspillera Diaz was crowned the most beautiful woman on earth in Miami Florida in the USA. Díaz was only 18 when she became Miss Universe 1969 after besting other candidates on the final question. She is now a well known actress in the country. She also won a couple of awards in her chosen field.